Life in Letters
by Clockwork Mockingbird
Summary: ZoroxNami A-Z challenge. Life told in twenty six snippets. A is for Atlas, Z is for Zealous.


A is for Atlas.

Zoro never gives much thought to anything, which is why it was nothing for him to snag an updated atlas while he was out, depositing it in the navigator's lap as he passed her without a word, not looking back even when her delighted squeal reached his ears.

* * *

><p>B is for Beauty.<p>

Sometimes Nami wonders what beauty is. Who decides what's beautiful? The beauty of a sunset to her could be nothing more than the end of another day to someone else, the smell of fresh tangerines nothing more than tangy citrus filling the air. She wonders about her own beauty as well. Nami knew she wasn't plain, but was she beautiful enough?

"Beautiful enough for what?" she wonders aloud.

Frustrated at her own confusion, she delivers a swift kick to Zoro upon discovering him asleep on deck again, just to assure herself that she hasn't gone completely over the edge.

* * *

><p>C is for Cat.<p>

Zoro watches as she twists in mid-air to land gracefully on her feet without so much as a stumble, continuing across deck as if nothing had happened while the rest of the crew goes flying, landing in undignified heaps and tangles.

"Cat Burglar," she reminds him with a wink.

* * *

><p>D is for Dancing.<p>

Sanji was appalled to discover that the crew was so lacking in culture that none of them could even dance. He took it upon himself to teach them, snagging Nami and leading her in a dizzying waltz that had her nearly doubled over in laughter.

Nami then demonstrated a fast paced two-step that involved many twists and dips. Zoro mutters something about dancing only being useful if you could do it with swords in your hands and hastily retreats to the gym.

* * *

><p>E is for Ear.<p>

He reached out before he could stop himself, flicking the small pendant dangling from her newly pierced lobe.

"I was inspired," she said, tugging gently on the matching gold in his own ear.

* * *

><p>F is for Fast.<p>

Unnatural speed was required for him. The enemies they faced were far from normal, their abilities more advanced than anything he'd seen before joining, pushing him to his limit, making him swing faster, step faster, _be_ faster.

Nami smashed the face of a Marine in with her staff, unaware of the gun trained on her back.

Zoro had never moved faster in his life.

* * *

><p>G is for Great.<p>

"How much better do you think you have to get until you're the greatest?"

Zoro opened an eye to peer at her.

"I dunno. Never thought about it."

Nami considered this.

"Not too much more I think. I mean, you're already the greatest swordsman we've encountered, and that's saying something."

"Says you," he grunted, glancing at the scar she had received no less than a week ago. "I'm going to train."

* * *

><p>H is for Height.<p>

Nami stood on her tip toes, just barely managing to grab the tangerine she was aiming for. The one above it was ready to be picked as well, and if she didn't get it, it would fall to the deck for the birds to pick at, but she couldn't reach it.

Zoro hoisted two baskets onto his shoulder, reaching with his other arm to pick the tangerine easily.

"Thanks," she said.

"Get a ladder shorty," he replied with a smirk. And ran to dodge her punch.

* * *

><p>I is for Instinct.<p>

They all relied on instinct most of the time. Zoro's instincts kept him alive, if forever lost. Usopp's instincts lead to semi-disastrous inventions that sometimes saved their lives. Sanji's allowed for culinary masterpieces. Chopper's kept them all breathing. Luffy's got them into trouble, but they wouldn't love him if they didn't. Nami's kept the ship, and them, in calm seas and clear skies.

Zoro realized that Luffy's instincts were what brought them all together in the first place, and wondered if that was what kept them that way.

* * *

><p>J is for Justice.<p>

There was no other reason for it. Luffy throwing a Marine into shark infested waters for shooting Zoro when his back was turned was nothing more than justice.

* * *

><p>K is for Kill.<p>

Nami had killed before. Blowing up places had lead to death, and she'd shot people on occasion, but she'd never had to look into someone's eyes as their life drained away, never had to face the consequences of her actions.

She's killed before, and Zoro knew, even as he gently pried the bloody knife from her shaking hands and turned her away from the marine's body and Usopp's grateful eyes, she'd do it again if it kept her family safe.

* * *

><p>L is for Lost.<p>

"Your lack of direction never ceases to amaze me."

"Hey, I'm carrying your sorry ass through the jungle, so shut up."

"Then put me down. I bet I could limp back to the ship and be in bed before you even spot it!"

"No way. You're not putting any pressure on that ankle until Chopper looks at it."

"It's just a sprain."

"You don't know that."

"Actually I do."

"Just shut up and point me towards the ship."

* * *

><p>M is for Money.<p>

The one thing you never did was get between Nami and her treasure. Offering her money was like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey- where it went, she went, and she never gave it up without a fight or good reason.

She handed over every last coin she had to free Chopper, Sanji, and Usopp from the Marine base, a fact which she kept to herself until Sanji declared his love for her had only deepened thanks to her heartfelt gesture.

"If you ever make me do that for you, I'll add so much to your debt you'll be my slave for life."

Zoro just laughed.

* * *

><p>N is for Nice.<p>

Zoro got worried when she was nice. Nami was nice when she wanted something from Sanji, she was nice when she wanted to change course in order to search for treasure, and she was usually nice to Chopper just because, but she was never nice to him for any reason.

So when she smiled at him and tossed him a tangerine because he "looked down", he stared at it for a long moment before decided she didn't know enough about explosives to make a bomb that small and bit into it.

A pair of delicate silver earrings found their way into her room the next day, and Zoro didn't come down from the Crow's Nest.

* * *

><p>O is for Orange.<p>

Nami claimed her hair was simply one shade through and through; orange as the tangerines she loved, but much softer.

"It's red and gold in the sunlight," Zoro informed her lazily. "And kind of auburn at sunset."

It never occurred to her to ask why he knew that.

* * *

><p>P is for Puzzle.<p>

"Word for love, four letters."

Zoro grunted, pushing himself up with one arm. For one second he was acutely aware that her name was exactly for letters long and he made himself stare at the floor.

"Fond," he said.

* * *

><p>Q is for Quote.<p>

"No, no," Nami corrected gently, "you're saying it too fast. Slow down and remember that it's three syllables, not two."

Chopper said something in a different language that Zoro recognized but didn't understand.

"It's not fair," the reindeer wailed. "I'm a doctor, I _know_ Latin! Why can't I say this?"

"Listen," Nami cooed. "Sit angelos de caelo cadentem."

"What's that mean?" Sanji asked breathlessly, hearts in his eyes.

Zoro couldn't tear his gaze from her. "Let the angels fall from heaven."

* * *

><p>R is for Resistance.<p>

Nami screamed and all hell broke loose. Zoro tore his chains from the wall, bent the bars that held them apart, and attacked with bare hands until nothing and no one stood in his way.

He freed her and then sheepishly doubled back for the others.

* * *

><p>S is for Safe<p>

Of all the things that happened to Nami, of all the things they encountered or did, the strangest thing was something she kept to herself.

Zoro was the most dangerous man she'd ever met. He was acknowledged publicly as a danger and either ruthlessly hunted or avoided. A glare from him was enough to make Marines pee their pants, or cry, or both.

But Nami knew there was no safer place than this dangerous man's arms.

* * *

><p>T is for Taste.<p>

"Thank you," she said, pressing her lips to his cheek before quickly pulling away. "I owe you so many lifetimes, and I've never thanked you for any of them."

He lowered his own lips to her cheek, tasting tangerines and lingering for the smallest second before straightening.

"You're welcome," he whispered.

* * *

><p>U is for Unworthy.<p>

She loves him. She hasn't said anything, not even a hint, but he knows. And it awes him into silence.

* * *

><p>V is for Value.<p>

"How much is this one worth?"

Nami spares the gold statue a glance before turning back to her map.

"At least five thousand beli."

Usopp's eyes bugged nearly out of his sockets and he sets it down carefully.

Luffy swallows the mountain of meat in his mouth and turns to Zoro. "How much are your swords worth? They've got to be worth a lot, right?"

Zoro shrugs. "They're sharp. That's all that matters."

Usopp glances around the vast storage unit. "What's the most valuable thing in here?" he wonders aloud.

"Nami-swan of course!" Sanji loudly proclaims.

Zoro silently agrees.

* * *

><p>W is for Want.<p>

Neither remembers who moved first, but it doesn't really matter because his arms are around her waist, her hands are gripping his collar, and the kiss has been a long time coming and it's absolutely perfect.

* * *

><p>X is for Xylotypographic.<p>

Luffy drops a piece of wood twice the size of Zoro in front of Nami and smiles like he does when he thinks he's done something clever.

"It's a map!" he declared, pointing to the carvings.

Zoro is skeptical, but Nami has That Look.

"He's right," she said, already examining and comparing, muttering under her breath.

Zoro groans, but lifts the insane object and takes it to the Map Room without being ordered to.

* * *

><p>Y is for Youth.<p>

Nami often forgets just how young they all are. Luffy is just barely nineteen, technically grown, but his antics prove maturity is a long time away if it comes at all.

"All his energy makes me feel like an old man chasing after a kid," Zoro says when she mentions it one night.

"Aw, what, do your joints ache? Do you want me to get you a cane?"

She suddenly found herself on her back, Zoro looming above her, smirking and trying to look irritated.

"Damn woman," he muttered, kissing her and showing her just how young he was.

* * *

><p>Z is for Zealous.<p>

He springs it on her when she's least expecting it, talking about it like it was already a sure thing. Bringing the rest of the crew in on it would have been crossing the line, but it was only a matter of time before they find out and their opinions become known.

"You're not going to give up on this are you?"

The smile might have started out cocky, but it finished gentle and sincere. "No," he told her gently and firmly. "Not until you give in."

So the next day, Luffy performed the only captianly duty Nami could remember him doing, and she and Zoro got married, just so he'd shut up.


End file.
